Tuesday 11 May 2010



QBiM SPiNS: The New Pornographers Together

OK, so this isn’t going to be a glowing review of Together, but I thought in the wake of a totally ridiculous review SPIN.com gave the disc, The New Pornographers deserved better than that pathetic excuse for writing.  I’m not a professional (and nor do I entertain the idea that I am) but I have been told by some that I’m nothing if not a passionate music fan, and that often comes across in my writing.  It’s not always easy, and I know there are times when I may end up cutting a few corners or paragraphs for the sake of a (self-imposed) deadline, but the less-than-90 word review by one Mikael Wood posted on SPIN.com on April 27 isn’t fit for lining a bird cage with.

Quote:  “The sharp riffs only occasionally add up to anything with a pulse, but the Pornos have always been bad mathematicians. Archaeology — that’s their subject.”  What the f**k does that mean? There is most definitely a pulse on Together:  “Your Hands (Together)” and “The Crash Years” are top quality New Pornos material.  The first features the heaviest groove the band has ever laid down, and it surprisingly sounds great, while the latter is destined to be a classic staple in their songbook.  Album opener “Moves” is sort of an amalgamation of the two:  another pitch-perfect pop song that uses strings to give it a massive and weighty presence in your speakers.   As far as opening triptychs go, Together starts out full of promise and purpose.

I agree with some other reviewers out there that the heavy hitters are pretty well up front on Together and it’s back half doesn’t have the same kind of songwriting quality as the front.  “Silver Dollar Jenny” gets the undistinguished honour of being my least favourite Dan Bejar-penned track ever (but how can he top something as perfect as “Myriad Harbour”?).  “Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk” has some interesting production effects going on, but unfortunately the song is a bit too thread bare to carry the sheen well.  “Valkyrie In The Roller Disco” is perhaps the one shining light on the second half of the album for me.  It’s another example of Carl Newman’s oddball songwriting, that perhaps on paper doesn’t seem like it would translate to much, but once committed to tape comes to life.  It’s not a barn-burner like “Your Hands (Together)” but I find it’s a respite from some of the more over-the-top moments.

It’s most likely physically impossible for the New Pornographers to write and record a bad album, but five disc in now, it’s clear there’s going to be some variations.  Together is no Twin Cinema but it would probably get really boring if re-hashing that album is all they ever did.  Together is not the sound of a pulse-less band, nor is it mediocre music that’s treading water.  It may not be their strongest record (though it may be their weakest), but that’s like criticizing the world’s smallest giant for being too short.  At the very least, it deserves a proper review instead of that spineless pap pasted all over SPIN.com.

MP3: The New Pornographers “Crash Years”
Myspace: The New Pornographers
Facebook: The New Pornographers





by J. Di Gioia | Comments Off

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